![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif?v=92.1){kind=small}
Wow. OH WOW. All but one of the products on my racebending.com Zazzle store has been removed because "it contained content in violation of Viacom's intellectual property rights". This means not just images (all of which were drawn by me), but also WORDS.
Apparently a t-shirt saying 'Aang can stay Asian and still save the world' is a copyright violation,
Anyway, this just means I get to make more Zazzle products and be more circumspect AND publicise on my Zazzle store that my products were removed by Viacom's orders. Awesome...?
The images in question:
ETA 1 - Zazzle's response to my request for a DMCA notice.
Thank you for your email.
Your products were removed during a routine sweep of our site for Viacom properties. You may review our product policies here: http://zazzle.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/143. If you'd like to purchase officially-licensed merchandise from Viacom's various properties, you may do so here: http://www.zazzle.com/brands.
If you'd like to continue using content from Avatar: The Last Airbender, you will need to obtain permission from Viacom. If you are able to obtain permission, we'd be more than happy to produce your products for you.
Zazzle galleries are public and users may contribute content freely. Although we make every effort to ensure that the marketplace are kept free of copyrighted or otherwise inappropriate content, sometimes certain inappropriate products may become available for purchase. We rely on the efforts of our users to bring inappropriate products to our attention by using the “Report violation” link that is located on every product page. This will notify our Content Management Team to review any potentially infringing products.
Best Regards,
Erik
Content Management Team
Zazzle.com, Inc.
So I did a search for 'avatar the last airbender' and 'airbender' and found a total of two items (mine and someone else's) t-shirts. So now I'm thinking Viacom has removed EVERYONE'S products that used the search 'airbender'...not just racebending's products?
Hmmm.
ETA 2 - All's well in Zazzle/Viacom HappyLand. The racebending store now has all its products back up. Read about how it happened HERE
---------------
AVATAR: TAKE THE QUICK SURVEY!
I urge you all to fill out this quick survey over at the
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif?v=92.1){kind=small}
racebending community. Or if you're feeling lazy, you can fill it out here and I'll pass on the message:. Copy and paste in comments:<b>AGE</b>
<b>GENDER</b>
<b>ETHNICITY</b>
<b>REASON (THREE SENTENCES ONLY)</b>
Thank you!
---------------
AVATAR: YOUTUBE CHANNEL!
Yeah baby! Racebending.com now has a YouTube Channel! It's specifically geared towards making boycotting videos for the movie, but we're also looking for creative and insightful videos regarding the protest.
More info is HERE on making your own boycott video to add to the channel (you have the freedom to be creative, but polite). If you have a video about Avatar that you'd like us to add to our Favourites, please contact boycott@racebending.com.
And, if you have a webcam or a video recorder, make your own video! I'm considering buying a webcam just for this purpose! And then maybe later for....sexy purposes.*
I KID, I KID. I AM VERY SRS BZNS ;D
← Ctrl← Alt
Ctrl →Alt →
April 28 2009, 18:39:51 UTC 3 years ago
April 28 2009, 18:56:26 UTC 3 years ago
Ba dum bup ching!
3 years ago
3 years ago
April 28 2009, 19:00:45 UTC 3 years ago
So, my suggestion - yes, it's cheeky of me to make one & I hope it doesn't offend you - is to write "censored by Viacom" in big red letters across the products they've removed from zazzle & distribute them anyway. I'd wear a t-shirt like that.
April 28 2009, 20:56:01 UTC 3 years ago
Wherein all the art was created by me and...yeah. The supposed copyright on 'Aang' and 'The Last Airbender' is a fallacy, but - but that they took down the products with the BLUE ARROW and the little monk that I drew?!?! LIKE. WHAT.
3 years ago
3 years ago
3 years ago
April 28 2009, 19:26:12 UTC 3 years ago Edited: April 28 2009, 19:29:20 UTC
For years and years in Australia there was a chain of clothing stores called Gandalf's Garden - I understand the Tolkien estate weren't happy, but they couldn't actually stop the store from using the name.
I think they have to go to the extra trouble of actually trademarking a name, before it's legally protected (like Harry Potter is trademarked).
April 28 2009, 21:33:07 UTC 3 years ago
For true thought - I get Harry Potter or Mickey Mouse being copyrighted - but seriously, a BLUE ARROW? I have no idea if 'Aang' is copyrighted/trademarked as well....I somehow doubt it.
April 28 2009, 19:35:17 UTC 3 years ago
Stupid awful evil Viacom! Arg. What about using similar sites like SpreadShirt or CafePress? Or are they not as good?
April 28 2009, 21:34:25 UTC 3 years ago
I honestly really like zazzle and chose it over cafepress. I had no idea about SpreadShirt, though! I should check it out. :D
3 years ago
April 28 2009, 19:48:11 UTC 3 years ago
Also, unless the names are copyright, they can't do jack shit on the text only shirts. Granted, they have no legal standing as it is with the images being done by you as it is, but goddamn, they are being so stupid!
The more stupid shit Viacom does, the less surprised I am that the Racefail happened. God knows no one at that company had any fucking sense to begin with. *glares at screwed up Season 3 episode release schedule and the Sozin's Comet book fiasco*
April 28 2009, 21:38:12 UTC 3 years ago
Although, if it really was Viacom that'd be...kinda scary-awesome that they're THAT intimidated by an at-cost, grass roots protesting product store....
3 years ago
April 28 2009, 20:43:32 UTC 3 years ago
And I'd post it to the racebending lj comm
And I'd tell io9.com
NOW!!!
(Viacom, srsly?!)
April 28 2009, 20:44:25 UTC 3 years ago
3 years ago
Anonymous
3 years ago
3 years ago
3 years ago
3 years ago
April 28 2009, 21:49:41 UTC 3 years ago Edited: April 28 2009, 21:51:20 UTC
Also #2! If you google "avatar last airbender casting", one of the images that comes up is THIS! Variations on the same thing get a number of other related hits, and if you type in "airbender", "airbender cotroversy" seems to be the fifth most common search (it's more popular than "airbender episode guide")!
It makes me happy that the word is spreading! Are you using meta search tags on the racebending site? It's been a while since I've attempted anything close to website-making, but I think they do help a lot in getting search engines to find a site.
< / babbling >
April 28 2009, 21:53:09 UTC 3 years ago
3 years ago
3 years ago
3 years ago
3 years ago
April 28 2009, 23:59:16 UTC 3 years ago
I know if the powers that be think you will negatively affect them then they go after you more.
Like you kno I can find many muppet things, but Kermit signing a Nine-Inch Nails song, Disney follows that vid around the net to make sure it does not go back up. Becuase they think it hurts the muppet image.
So I mean, your products clearly attacking a viacom product might have been seen as a threat?
Maybe?
That's the only earthlogic I cna dig up.
Because otherwise uhh no! WTF~!
April 29 2009, 00:10:35 UTC 3 years ago
I have to say - VIACOM seeing a measly Zazzle store as a threat, well. It's rather awesomely sad.
3 years ago
3 years ago
April 29 2009, 01:13:45 UTC 3 years ago
May 3 2009, 16:29:18 UTC 3 years ago
Thank you, sweetheart!! *MWAH*
April 29 2009, 01:53:53 UTC 3 years ago
May I use your "putting the Cauc back in Asian" icon, with credit to you?
May 3 2009, 16:30:32 UTC 3 years ago
Deleted comment
May 3 2009, 16:31:16 UTC 3 years ago
April 29 2009, 13:51:39 UTC 3 years ago
May 3 2009, 16:43:22 UTC 3 years ago
Thanks for contacting me and I'm sorry it took so long to get back to you! I saw today's blog post on OTW and rambled for a bit there as well about my concerns. I would LOVE any sort of advice you or anyone on OTW has to offer. I'm very new to all of this. :D
April 29 2009, 14:44:17 UTC 3 years ago
May 3 2009, 16:45:17 UTC 3 years ago
Thank you for the tip!
3 years ago
April 29 2009, 15:33:18 UTC 3 years ago
May 3 2009, 16:47:46 UTC 3 years ago
April 30 2009, 03:02:20 UTC 3 years ago Edited: April 30 2009, 03:03:09 UTC
I asked if you'd be subject to legal action if you just popped the same products back up on your Zazzle page (though I don't know if you'd want to at this point, what with them being unhelpful tools) but:
May 3 2009, 16:47:00 UTC 3 years ago
This is turning out to be a big learning experience, and I'm glad to see there's already been some coverage on it. \o/!
3 years ago
May 3 2009, 06:11:33 UTC 3 years ago
June 19 2009, 18:11:08 UTC 2 years ago
May 3 2009, 14:39:28 UTC 3 years ago
Hmm.....maybe Viacom gave you an opportunity...
Maybe you aren't suppose to sell them. Maybe they are suppose to be donated for free with a donation. I'd donate a a fist full of greenbacks for a worthy cause for a shirt. It isn't for sale so you aren't using it for profit. Give it away for a penny, a dollar, a c-note. What is the collection for? Getting a law firms backing for Viacaom's abuse of alleged power.And since this about VIACOMglomerate shutting down the little man make allies with any and all that Viacom has messed with. I think this is the time where we as fan do more than shout and wave our fists and yell at companies in 50 floor towers of iron and tempered glass. We must start showing the world it's not about fans complaining about race changing. That it's about distorting the truth for capital gains.
May 3 2009, 16:02:22 UTC 3 years ago
Re: Hmm.....maybe Viacom gave you an opportunity...
We do offer all of the slogans and images for free on our racebending.com website, actually. And we provide the link on the Zazzle store - so if people can't purchase a ready-made product, they can download and print any of the protest material themselves.We have the store on Zazzle just in case people would rather purchase a product rather than make it themselves. But as I said, I am taking ZERO money from any sales on Zazzle. Any commission being made (because Zazzle insists on a minimum 10% commission) will be collected and - if it's over $10 - donated to MANAA or - if it's maximum $10 - renewing the racebending.com website.
Anyway, we've been doing more than just 'shouting and waving our fists', and we've been doing a lot to show why their choices were clearly marketing-driven. Besides, I don't think it's all that bad for fans to want to protest racism. Fighting racism is important to share with regular people, because it's regular people who'll make the choice to spend their money on Viacom's marketing machine. :)
3 years ago
May 3 2009, 17:25:28 UTC 3 years ago
ps - LOVE the icons. :D
http://firechild10.livejournal.com/2589
May 3 2009, 22:50:01 UTC 3 years ago
Saw this on BoingBoing, and went, that sucks... HEY, I know her!!
I can't believe Viacom is a) not attempting to cast actors that are Asian and Inuit actors, and b) that they DMCAed you. Bastards.
May 3 2009, 23:37:57 UTC 3 years ago
I think that adding “Censored by Viacom” to the image is a great idea. Maybe I'll do that too... some day.
Anonymous
May 4 2009, 16:16:37 UTC 3 years ago
wow
may i use the cauc asian logo on my blog for a few weeks? i would love to support this.typicallydia.com
3 years ago
3 years ago
May 4 2009, 21:57:39 UTC 3 years ago
Reasons behind it all...
Do any of you realize why Viacom (and other companies) can do this?Its because for the past 30 years, the (republican owned) Government has allowed Conglomerates and Large Corporations to do as they damn well please.
The best way to fight shit like this, is to FLOOD your representative with emails and letters complaining about the egregious use of illegal/unethical business practices.
Anonymous
May 4 2009, 22:23:26 UTC 3 years ago
Re: Reasons behind it all...
Or its because we have laws to keep individuals from profiting from the Intellectual property of others.Anonymous
May 5 2009, 02:31:16 UTC 3 years ago
cauc|asian
thank you glockgal ~ i have posted a blog entry on a related subject and linked back.and yes, i am lazy :)
33
femme
cauc
being a citizen of the world, a fan of free speech, and not a fan of amerimanga as it is, i support what i think is a healthy boycott.
Anonymous
May 5 2009, 02:32:07 UTC 3 years ago
Re: cauc|asian
p.s. i also just plain old like the design of the shirts!typicallydia.com
Anonymous
May 5 2009, 06:59:34 UTC 3 years ago
Article in Support
http://stillplaysvideogames.today.com/20May 5 2009, 14:53:19 UTC 3 years ago
Zazzle stuff
I just sent a note to Viacom, and they responded *immediately* (so I guess this is now on their radar) and they said:But I don't see everything back up on your site yet. Have you had a response from Zazzle?
May 6 2009, 01:21:57 UTC 3 years ago
Re: Zazzle stuff
Wow. Thanks for sending me the private message as well - I'm kinda reeling from this alone!3 years ago
3 years ago
Anonymous
May 10 2009, 03:58:29 UTC 3 years ago
Comment from Richard M Stallman
Zazzle and Viacom are hiding behind the vague generalization"intellectual property". By using that term they are avoiding even
telling you what law they claim your products violate. There is no
law forbidding "using VIACOM content". There are specific laws which
prohibit specific things. The term "intellectual property" is
designed to hide these laws with a confused blur.
I suggest you demand that they tell you concretely what objection they
have to each of your products. Which law do they think it violates,
and why? "Intellectual property" is not an answer; it is a way not to
answer.
See http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/not-ipr.ht
about why we should reject this confusing propaganda term.
Richard Stallman
← Ctrl← Alt
Ctrl →Alt →